Transfer Credit Information

• Advanced Placement (AP)
• CLEP Test Policy
• Dual Enrollment
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• Credit for Prior Learning (PLA)
• Seal of Bilingualism/Biliteracy
• Transfer of Military Credit

Procedures for Transfer of Academic Credit

Official Transcripts:

• Applicants must arrange for official college transcripts to be forwarded from previously attended colleges and universities to Application Processing, University of Maine System, P.O. Box 412, Bangor, ME 04402-0412. Veterans must submit a Joint Services transcript or Form DD295. 
• Applicants who have taken and passed Advance Placement (AP) courses while in high school with a score of 3 or higher must request an official transcript of scores to be sent to the Appliccation Processing Center above stated. The college board number is 888-225-5427.

Transfer Credits: 

• Academic work must be completed with grades of “C-” or better at regionally accredited institutions of higher education to be accepted towards meeting the requirements of a UMF baccalaureate degree. Some courses may not transfer because a particular course is not applicable to any UMF program of study (with the exception of courses within the University of Maine System). Credit will not be awarded for other institutionally based exams. The Office of Registrar maintains a transfer equivalency database of courses that are offered at some institutions that are transferable to UMF.

Grades and GPA: Grades earned in courses from other institutions, including any other University of Maine System institution, will appear on the student’s transcript; however they will NOT be calculated into the student’s GPA. 

Repeated Courses: Courses taken at another institution may transfer to meet a requirement but will not replace the low grade of a course taken at UMF. To replace a grade for such a course, the course must be repeated at UMF.   

Study Away:  Current students should complete a Study Away form to insure that the transfer credit will apply toward completion of their degree. Students who are applying for financial aid must complete a Study Away form available on MyCampus>Tools>Forms&Documents>Study Away (https://mycampus.maine.edu/group/umf/forms-and-documents)

Pass/Fail Courses: Pass-fail courses taken outside the University Maine System (UMS) must have “pass” defined as a C- or higher in order to transfer. Pass/fail courses can only be used as a general elective.

Residency Requirement: Refer to the Degree/Graduation Requirements section of the catalog.

Time Limitations of Course Work: Some subject areas have changes dramatically over time. Courses over ten years old will be subject to additional review to determine if they are in fields where there have been significant changes making the material outdated. Those courses that are determined to be missing important new material will be excluded from transfer.

Advanced Placement (AP)

UMF participates in the Advanced Placement Program of The College Board. To be considered for college credit, entering students must have completed a college-level Advanced Placement test. Scores of three or higher earn students credit depending on the subject matter area. Applicants who have taken and passed Advance Placement (AP) courses while in high school with a score of 3 or higher must request an official transcript of scores to be sent to the Appliccation Processing Center above stated. The college board number is 888-225-5427. 

*May count as ENG 100 

Dual Enrollment/Concurrent Enrollment Classes and Credits:

If a student in high school is taking college classes through dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment and those courses are outside of the University of Maine System, it is the student’s responsibility to request an official transcript from that school(s) in order to receive college credit for their work. It will not be awarded based on the high school transcript.

A complete application consists of the application form, a required essay, an official high school transcript(s), an official recommendation, official transcripts from any and all completed college level course work. Home-schooled applicants may be asked to submit their GED or HISET examination results. Occasionally, an interview may be requested if additional information is needed. International applicants must include the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS scores if English is not their first language or if they have not graduated from an educational institution in the U.S., as well as financial records to document their ability to fund their education in the U.S.

Applicants requiring special assistance in the application process may contact the Office of Admission for reasonable accommodation.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

The University of Maine at Farmington will award credit for the higher level IB examinations for which you earn scores of 5 or higher on of a scale of 1 to 7. Credit will be awarded for those Farmington courses deemed to be equivalent by the appropriate UMF departments, with a minimum of three credits and a maximum of eight credits per examination. An official transcript from the College Board is required for transfer credit evaluation.The college board number is 888-225-5427. 

Credit for Prior Learning (PLA)

UMF students are supported by the University of Southern Maine Prior Learning Assessment office (USM PLA) in the following ways: 

• Posting general elective credit based on qualified licenses, certifications, and other credentials that represent learning comparable to that encountered in the college classroom.
• Facilitating and guiding students through the academic portfolio process when students have been specifically approved by UMF faculty and the UMF Registrar.

USM PLA can not post credits directly from regionally non-accredited transcripts.  All credits posted for transfer to UMF must be approved by the UMF Registrar and the appropriate UMF faculty department.

UMF students who want to learn more about USM PLA should view the PLA website.  Students wishing to have credentials reviewed through USM PLA should begin by contacting Carla DeGraw, the UMF Registrar.

Transfer of Military Credit

Students should submit a copy of their Joint Services transcript to be evaluated. Credit for military work will be evaluated based on recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) and will correspond to subject areas offered at the University of Maine.  Only courses recommended at the upper or lower baccalaureate level will be considered for transfer credit. 

A maximum of 15 credits will be allowed as military transfer credit (not including prior experiential learning and credit for standardized tests) and the courses will count as elective credit only unless an exception is made.  The process for an exception is as follows: the student should contact his or her Assistant Registrar who will forward the material to the appropriate department chair or faculty member who will make the appropriate decision. 

Credit for military experience: credit for learning due to duties or a position in the military is considered prior learning and will be considered in the same way as other prior experiential learning.